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tation areas.

As they came back round to Black Hut and down to Agneash Mines, the riders had maintained an incredibly high pace over the very technical steep and treacherous descent into Laxey.

The lead group was now down to three main contenders, with all others falling to one side as the pace on the hills proved high.

When they finally started the climb from Kirk Michael to the top of the Baltic - after more than four hours of racing - Oldham was the first to lose ground, leaving Thomas and Bell to head off towards Brandywell as a pair.

With 10km remaining, they bounced down the stoney track to Brandywell flying off all the big berms, before crossing the road and onto the start of Glion Gill.

With the kilometres ticking down, only the Cronk Breck descent, Usher’s Pass and the Millennium Way stood in the pair’s way before they reached the finishing field at Eyreton.

As the leading duo negotiated the steep, rocky track before the hard left turn into the field, they were still neck-and-neck. But Bell took the corner and subsequent water splash slightly better than his rival and pulled a two-metre gap.

It was then down the field, a quick traverse and before the 200 metre climb to the finish line. Yorkshireman Bell crossed first in a time of 5hr 16min precisely, with Thomas 18s adrift. Oldham was another 1m 46s astern.

The leading locals were Dan Curtis, 11th in 6:00.43 and Ross Thorley, 14th in 6:23.45.

Mechanical problems scuppered Manx woman Kirree Quayle’s hopes at East Mountain Gate. The winning female was Amy Souter (InGear Coaching naughtone) from Leeds who completed the course in 7:08.19.

Erica Moks (Mountain Goat Coaching) of Barnard Castle was next at 7:28.36, followed more than 16 minutes later by Katherine Simpson (Rock and Road) of Stirlingshire.

Local woman Emma Atkinson took gold in the veteran women’s class with a time of 7:55.43, beating Ruth Gamwell and Lydia Gould.

Commenting on the event, outgoing British champion and double End2End winner Ben Thomas said that with some minor tweaks the event could be UCI World Marathon Series standard.

Manx 100km HSBC British Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon Championship: Men - 1, Tom Bell total time 5hr 16min 00sec; 2, Ben Thomas 5:16.18; 3, Paul Oldham 5:18.04; 4, Lomas Wefing 5:23.55; 5, Lee Williams 05:44.06; 6, Jon Roberts 5:48.47; 7, Marc Chamberlain 5:51.59; 8, Dan Howe 05:55.11; 9, Paddy Atkinson 5:57.24; 10, Christopher Clark 6:00.39; 11, Daniel Curtis 6:00.43; 12, Arthur Green 6:10.17; 13, Mike Wragg 6:12.09; 14, Ross Thorley 6:23.45; 15, Richard Lilly 6:28.31; 16, Richard Knowles 6:34.17; 17, Andy Jones 6:34.55; 18, Graham Tibbot 6:38.26; 19, Carl Morrish 6:39.11; 20, Iain Wight 6:43.23; 21, Mathew Livesey 6:46.57; 22, Christopher Green 6:52.12; 23, Richard Samuel 6:53.15; 24, Gary Beall 6:54.31; 25, Adrian Hill 7:00.00; 26, Kenny Young 7:00.30; 27, Mitchell Jones 7:10.50; 28, Nigel Gregory 7:24.09; 29, Christopher Coombs 7:38.49; 30, Stuart Tyrrell 7:43.40; 31, Adrian Beale 8:08.03; 32, Richard Gregory 8:10.39. DNF (Slieau Curn) David Oliver; (East Mountain Gate) Anthony White, Harry Godding, Lee Monks, Sean Taylor.

Women: 1, Amy Souter 7hr 08m 19s; 2, Erica Moks 7:28.36; 3, Katherine Simpson 7:44.47; 4, Emma Atkinson 7:55.43; 5, Ruth Gamwell 8:51.28. DNF: (St Luke’s) Lydia Gould; (E. Mtn Gate) Kirree Quayle. Timing and results service by Manx Timing Solutions.

THANK YOUS

It must be said that events of the Manx 100’s nature cannot go ahead without a massive amount of back-office work, planning and cooperation across governmental departments, private land owners and marshals.

Without 30-plus marshals, support from Robinsons, Bikestyle, Eurocycles, Manx Timing Solutions, Cannell’s Print, SAS events, the IoM Constabulary, work with DEFA, liaison and assistance from DED, local farmers and the organising team (all of the Morris family, David and Gemma Kelly, Scott and Briony Morgan) and of course the podium team of young children - Imogen Kelly, Graigh Morgan, Erin Morgan, Charles Morris and James Rothwell - who presented the winners and runners-up with their medals, jerseys and Champagne, the event would not be a success.

Tom details his cycling training and advice on his website http://tombell.co

Nigel Morris, Manx Mountain Bike Club